


New World

by Takenatmidnight



Category: Minecraft (Video Game)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:00:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25415050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Takenatmidnight/pseuds/Takenatmidnight
Summary: This is just Minecraft fanfiction





	1. Chapter 1

Day 1

I have just started in this new world. I do not know where I came from, and I do not know where I am going, but I may know what my end goal is. It is my choice whether to pursue that goal. I choose not to. There is comfort in knowing that I have control over what happens in this world, although I often prefer to see where fate brings me. 

I start out in the forest, as I often do. The way the canopy casts a kaleidoscope of shadow and light onto the forest floor has become familiar to me. Through the dense forest I can see a small hill. The sun still rises as I weave through the dense wood, alone. There are no animals, not even foxes or wolves. This is not the place for them. Not yet, anyway. The world is always changing, improving. If that’s what you would call it. New creatures come into it, and new dangers come along with them. But the forest always remains silent. I prefer it that way.

The sun beats down on me from the top of the hill, now directly overhead. With the cool forest now behind me, the vast plains spread out like an ocean of grass. Small animals scurry among the poppies and dandelions that are dotted through the fields. The tall grass rustles as the wind combs through it, creating a haunting echo. From my position on the hill I can see a small village across the expanse of the meadow. Puffs of gray smoke rise from the smokestacks and disappear into the blue sky. The buildings are all made of oak wood, no doubt taken from the quiet forest. I climb down from the hill and begin my journey towards the village, hoping to be met with hospitality.

The grass swishes rhythmically as I push my way through it, creating a low hum in the symphony of the wind. The sun is still just as bright. The animals scamper away from me as I make my way through the meadow, and occasionally I see a small pair of eyes peering at me through the grass. Soon my feet step from uneven dirt to flat path, and the neat wooden houses spread out before me. Small farms lined with oak logs are a common sight, and villagers are seen farming their crops. A tall, cobblestone church looks over the town. Animals graze in pens, tended to by villagers with carrots and seeds. It seems peaceful. I’ll be glad to stay here for a couple of days.

Day 2

The villagers in this small town are relatively hospitable. They have let me stay in one of the houses, the house of a cartographer that is currently out exploring. It’s not very big, but it’s cozy. The soft lamplight illuminates the room nicely. The other villagers are always interested in me, asking me time and time again if I want to trade with them. I regret to inform them that I have nothing of any value except the clothes on my back. They don’t question where I have come from, or why. They are satisfied as long as I help around. I’m grateful for that. 

I came across a horse grazing in the field outside town recently. It’s a beautiful horse, with a sooty, chestnut colored pelt and light golden mane. It’s majesty is alluring. I might try to tame it. I’ll need a steed for when I eventually leave this town. Not that I’m uncomfortable here - the villagers are relatively nice. I just never stay in one place for long. I can’t.

The local blacksmith is the friendliest person I’ve met here. I’ve seen him multiple times while passing by his shop. He always says hello over the loud banging of metal against hot iron. If I had money I would buy a weapon of some sort from him. I’ve heard he makes good broadswords. But alas, the relationship I have with this village so far is one of labor for residence. I don’t think I’ll be attaining any kind of coin soon.

Day 4

I’ve finally done it. It took a while, but I’ve done it. I tamed the wild horse outside the village. A few hours of getting thrown off it’s back was worth it. The horse is fast, agile, and handsome. Quite a nice catch if you ask me. 

I was thinking I shall leave sunrise overmorrow. I know the villagers will object - I consider that I’ve done good work for them thus far. They work hard, and another pair of arms to sow is valuable. But I can’t stay. I’ve been itching to explore for days now. I don’t know when I’ll come across another place to stay, but I’m willing to sleep on the journey. I know I can take care of myself.

Day 5

I’ve just told the villagers my plans to leave. As I expected, they urged me to stay, but I remained steadfast. They say they will miss me when I am gone. I don’t know how true that is, but it’s a nice sentiment. I’ll remember this village for if I ever come across it again. I know it’s not likely, but the villagers have been kind to me, and that deserves remembrance.

The blacksmith came to me with a curious gift. He insisted that I take four blocks of iron. He told me that it had, as he put it, “special properties”. They seem to be regular iron blocks to me. I took it all the same - iron is iron, after all, and I can always use it for something - but his words still pass my mind. I suppose I’ll find out what’s so special about them in due time.

For my hard work, I was handy enough to be rewarded with a saddle. It will be very useful if I’m to travel on my horse. On that matter, I believe I should give it a name. I’ve never been very good with names. Maybe something simple like Chestnut, after its rich color. Or perhaps a more human-like name, such as Harriet. Perhaps I should simply wait for inspiration to strike me.

Day 6 

I saddle my horse and set out at dawn. I wave goodbye to the villagers as they watch us trot away, becoming small specks in the distance. I don’t know which direction I am traveling in, or where exactly I am going, but I know that I need to pursue this journey.

The tall grass barely comes up to Dawn’s knees as she canters through it. Oh, I should mention; I’ve decided to name the horse Dawn. Not the most original, I’m aware, but it has a certain ring to it. Dawn and I travel through the sunny expanses of field for hours. Occasionally we stop to rest, and I take a sip from my flask filled with clear, sweet river water. It’s nice, being out again. Out amongst the birds and other skittish animals, and the dandelions growing tangled out of the soil, and the pure wildness of it all. It’s refreshing to be back here.

Eventually we come across a vast forest canopy. The thick leaves and tall, dark wood block out most sunlight. Still, beams poke through the dense overhang of leaves, creating a splotched pattern of light on the ground. It’s much quieter. The only sounds are the occasional rustling brush and the steady hoofbeat of Dawn sauntering down the worn dirt road. The sun barely shines through, but I can tell it’s starting to get late. I should find a safe place to camp for the night soon.

Eventually we come across a large clearing, just off the bank of a river. Light makes an uneven circle on the cool grass. This should be a good spot. I listen to the water burbling past as I set up the tent. Just across the river, the land delves into a murky swamp. The area is dark and muddy, and the water there is grayish-green instead of the bright blue it is in the forest. It seems like an interesting biome. I might explore it more in the morning. 

I tie Dawn to a sturdy tree and settle in for the night. The sounds of night creatures are just starting to arise as I lay in my bedroll. The light grows dimmer and dimmer, and I feel my mind fade away into sleep.


	2. A New Ally

Shit.

A glass bottle whizzes past me, exploding against the ground. Blue-gray liquid bursts out of it, splashing the area, and a mess of bubbles marks the impact. I duck behind a gnarled tree as another potion crashes against the bark, just missing me. Damn witches.

I have to think fast. The drab swampland stretches in all directions. The witch is blocking the way I came, and I’m not about to wander through the swamp on my own to try and find a different exit. I know how bad of an idea that is. And all of my supplies and equipment, Dawn included, are back at the campsite. I’ll have to find a way to rough through this one.

It hits me. The four blocks of iron that I still have on me. I silently thank the heavens for thinking to grab a pumpkin to craft a jack-o-lantern before I left the village. I have exactly the ingredients I need. I rush to place the blocks, minding the witch coming ever nearer. I dig around in my pockets for the jack-o-lantern, then pop it on the four-block structure I’ve made. 

Krshhh. My view is muddled by a splash of black liquid, erupting right in front of me. The world blurs as I cringe and fall to my knees in pain. I can already feel the effects of the potion seeping into my body. It was one of the more powerful ones. I have to fight to keep consciousness, barely paying attention to the sounds around me. I try to get to my feet, but I can’t.

Lifting my head painfully, I can see that the golem is gone. I hear a loud shriek, then the splash of water. The hail of potions stops. At least it’s done its job. 

I can’t keep myself up anymore, falling onto my side on the wet grass. Just as my vision starts to fade to black, I hear heavy footsteps. There’s a shadow above me, and although I can’t tell what it is, I can guess based on its stature. I feel strong arms lift me up just as my consciousness slips. 

********************

When I awake, the sun is lower in the sky, and orange light seeps into the tent. I’m laying on my coarse bedroll back at camp. My head still pounds painfully. I can hear the crackling of firewood outside, and the flames licking up into the evening sky. The golem must have lit the fire. It must have taken me all the way back to camp.

I suppress the throbbing and stumble out of the tent. Sitting on the ground by the fire is.. Well, I don’t know what. It’s not a golem. It certainly has all the features of a golem - the moss and vines growing over it, the iron texture, the tall, lanky figure. But this is much more humanoid. Instead of the disproportional limbs of a regular golem, it’s tall and muscular. It’s features aren’t clunky and boxlike. It looked like a person.

It - he? - looks up when I walk out and sees me staring. Slowly, it brings a hand up and waves awkwardly. I don’t know what to think. It gets up, and I cautiously approach it. The golem just stares at me with deep, red eyes. 

I curl my fingers into a fist and hesitantly rasp against its bicep. It produces a thick, metallic sound. It’s definitely made of iron. Seeing that it had nearly no reaction to that, I gear up and punch it lightly. No reaction. My hand does hurt slightly after that, though.

“Who are you?” It suddenly asks. I jump at the surprise. Its voice is deep and somehow fittingly metallic.   
“I-I should be asking you that.” I stutter back. It just looks at me confusedly. “I mean.. what are you?” I clarify.  
“How should I know?” It retorts. “I only have memory back a couple hours.”  
Hmm. It speaks very fluently, which is strange. But then again, everything about this is strange. “Well.. what do you know?”  
“I know… a feeling,” It answers, gazing into the flames. “The need to protect.”  
“That makes sense. You are an iron golem, after all.”  
It looks down up at me. “What?”  
“An iron golem. Usually they’re built to protect towns from mobs.”  
“So.. I take it that you built me?” It asks. I nod. It gets down on one knee, hanging its head. Even kneeling, it’s nearly my height. “I see no towns here, so I suppose my purpose is to protect you.”  
“Er- yes-” I blush at the sudden declaration of loyalty. “But this- this wasn’t supposed to happen.”  
“What wasn’t supposed to happen?”  
“I mean- you,” I say awkwardly, gesturing to the figure. “Normally iron golems are stiff and, well.. golem-like. You’re the most human one I’ve ever seen.”  
It thought for a second. “I do recall being hit with a strange potion just before I pushed the witch into the swamp. Maybe that had something to do with it.”  
“Maybe..” I mutter. The camp falls into silence, the only sounds being of the forest and burning wood. The fire makes me realize that I haven’t eaten in hours. Some food would help to replenish my health. 

I come to the wicker basket I’ve set on the river bank. It still contains fish I caught earlier but never took back to camp. I grab the rope and sling it over my shoulder. When I get back, the golem has set up a pot over the fire. Even though I cannot figure out why it’s so sentient, It’s been awfully helpful so far. I dump a couple fish into the pot and estimate how long it will take until they’re edible. I was never the best at cooking.

While I’m waiting, I look over to the golem. It stands next to the tent idly, not doing much. If I’m to travel with it, I think I should give it a name.  
“Excuse me,” I call to it. It’s head swivels in my direction.  
“I think you should have a name,” I say as I approach it.  
“A name? For my own?”  
“Yes. I was thinking.. er..” I haven’t actually thought this through. “How about... Ivan?”  
“Ivan..” It mulled over the word, muttering it a few times. “Alright. I like that name.”

I’m glad he does. I don’t know where the name came from - I think it was the name of some famous potions master I overheard in town - but it suits him. Him? I think to myself, gaze shifting back to the pot. When did that happen? It takes me a moment to realize that the pot is boiling. I take it off the fire, shifting hands on hot metal. 

Ivan and I sit together on a log at the edge of the campsite. I put the fish on a makeshift plate made out of tough, thick grass strung together. It isn’t exactly bad, but I certainly could use a few cooking classes. I’m just glad to be able to eat something. I can feel my health restoring already.

The burbling river whisks by before us, and the dark wood lays behind. Dawn idly chews grass to the side. It’s a wonderful environment, by all means. Certainly better than that wretched swamp. I had gone there in the morning to forage for mushrooms. I quickly ran into the witch. I haven’t had many encounters with hostile mobs so far; when I stayed in the village, the torches and lamps peppered throughout the streets warded off any night creatures. And the village golem protected everyone from ones that wandered in. Glancing over at the figure next to me, I’m still puzzled by his existence. He should be a dim-witted, hulking creature. Maybe it truly did have something to do with the witch’s potions as he said. Thinking back, I remember how the village blacksmith had specifically described the iron I used as ‘special’. That could be a possibility. I have the itching urge to visit that village again for answers.

I discard the fish bones in the forest. Walking back to camp, Ivan comes up to me.

“So.. will we be staying here for long?”  
“I wasn’t planning to,” I answer. “In fact, I was thinking we should head out at dawn tomorrow.”  
He raises an eyebrow. “That soon?”  
“We’ll only be going back a small ways. I want to visit a small village I left just a few days ago.”  
“Then I’ll come with you.”  
“Of course,” I say, surprising myself by smiling.   
“Where should I stay at night?”  
His question catches me slightly off guard. I hadn’t thought of that. I don’t have another bedroll. “I think I may have an extra blanket. You can sleep on the left side of my tent.”  
“Thank you.”  
I nod, then enter the tent. Thoughts swirl around in my mind as I dig through my bags for the extra blanket. Once I find it, I set it down on the left side of the tent as I had said. I do feel bad about having him sleep on the rough ground, but I hadn’t exactly planned for two people to be sleeping here. This is still a lot of new occurrences to process. Hopefully I’ll find answers when we arrive back at the village.  
When nightfall descends we both settle in for the night. It feels strange, hearing Ivan’s breathing mingled with the chirps of the forest. It’s.. calming, somehow. To know that there’s another being with you. A friendly one, at least. And golems have always provided a sense of security. 

The sounds eventually mingle together into an undistinguishable chorus. I feel myself falling asleep much quicker than I have previously. The exhaustion of the day makes a great sleep motivator. The air outside the tent grows colder and darker. A soft breeze rustles through the tall trees, Worries about what’s to come slowly slip away, and eventually I do as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uhh hey again! It me! I never actually thought I would continue this fic but I just finished chapter two and I'm posting it at midnight because my life is sad and I have nothing better to do lmaoo
> 
> yeah this is still just minecraft fanfiction I have no excuse for my actions
> 
> will there be a part 3? maybe ;)


	3. Back Again

“Need help?”

“I’m good, thanks,” I reply, throwing a leg over the smooth leather saddle. Ivan retracts his helping hand. “If anything, I would ask if you need help.”

“It’s just mounting a horse. I imagine it’s simple,” He brushes off as he stares confusedly at where to start. He decides to throw a leg over and just hop on, as I had done. He had all the confidence of a trained horseback rider as his leg catches in the stirrup and he lands with a thump on the ground. 

I roll my eyes and desaddle, standing next to him. “Need help?” I smirk, extending a hand.

“Thank you,” He says as I pull him up - well, more as he pulls himself up using my hand and I try not to fall over. “I… thought that would be easier.”

“Yes, I can tell,” I laugh. Seeing him eyeing the horse as if he’s about to try again, I tap him on the shoulder and kneel, supping my hands and holding them out. He looks confused. 

“I’ll give you a boost.” I was prepared to hoist him up, but I wasn’t prepared to have my entire body lurch forward as he did. Luckily I caught myself before faceplanting in the dust, and I get up quickly enough that I think he didn’t notice, although I can’t be sure. I’m never truly sure what he’s looking at unless I stare. The red pupils upon inky black sclera are dark enough that they almost blend together. I still haven’t gotten used to having such a human non-human being around. 

I wiggle in in front of him and whip the reins. Poor Dawn must not understand why she has to carry the weight of a brick wall all of a sudden. Just a drawback among many perks of being made of iron, I suppose. Hopefully my smaller-than-average stature makes up for it. 

I hope to the high heavens that I’m traveling in the right direction. I couldn’t afford a map while I was in town - I couldn’t afford much of anything, on account of not having any currency - so I have to rely on memory. I add a new hope, which is that Dawn remembers the way better than I do. I don’t know what I would ever do without her.

***************

The higher the sun climbs, the farther we trot, and the more confident I become that we’re going the right way. It would have been terribly embarrassing to explain to Ivan that I didn’t actually know where we were headed. Although, he doesn't seem to be paying much attention. He seems fascinated by the environment around us. The softly swishing tall grass, the rustling among it, the clouds rolling past high above. He reaches out a hand to touch the grass. The metallic sheen in the midday sun clashes with the soft yellowish-green color, and I realize I’m staring. I’m beginning to become more and more grateful that he doesn't notice me much.

Eventually we can see the town in the distance. I perk up at the sight, and Ivan notices, looking up. “Is that where we’re headed?”  
“Yes.”  
“Oh.” He pauses for a second. “I like it.”  
“We haven’t even gotten there yet.”  
“I know. But it looks nice. Safe.”

I can’t keep from chuckling to myself. I wonder if it’s characteristic for golems to say silly things so often, then I remember that golems don’t usually talk. The more I think about it, I realize that Ivan acts more like a human dog than what I thought a golem might be like. At least he’s a good companion.

We reach the outskirts of town, and I pull the reins, slowing Dawn to a halt. I can almost hear her breathe a sigh of relief. Helping Ivan down from the saddle, I tie the reins to a fencepost and saunter into town, Ivan following. He seems enthralled by all the wooden buildings and simple structures. I should show him around if we have time.

A couple villagers ambling through the plaza notice us and wave hello. I smile and wave back. They only give Ivan a few mixed looks, then go on their way. That’s one thing I like most about villagers. They never ask too many questions. I never have many answers.

Even though the town is relatively small, it takes me a little while to remember where the blacksmith’s shop is. I finally find it from the familiar sound of a hammer clanging against hot metal. The blacksmith is working on what looks like an iron shovel, but from the red-hot slab, I can barely tell. 

The blacksmith takes a break to wipe his brow and finally notices us. “Ah, I see you’re back in town!” He says, grinning as he steps out of the open shop. “What can I help you with?”

“I wanted to ask… what exactly were the properties of that iron you gave me?”

He strokes his mustache, singed on both ends. “Why do you ask?”

“I may have used some.”

He frowns. “You made a tool? But miss, that’s my job!”

“I didn’t make any tools,” I say. “I used it for something else.” I gesture to Ivan, who, although he’s standing right next to me, doesn’t seem to be following the conversation well. The blacksmith just looks confused. 

Slowly, I see it dawn on him, and he strokes his mustache even more fervently. “You don’t mean to tell me this fine fellow here is made of iron?”  
“I do.” Just to show, I rasp a fist against Ivan’s arm. The blacksmith does as well, and his face lights up once he feels the warm metal. Ivan just looks even more lost. “Yep, that’s an iron golem, alright. But why does it look like that?”

I dismiss the slight rudeness of the question. “That’s why I came here. To ask you about that.”

“Hm.” The blacksmith twiddles the frayed wires of mustache he has left on the ends. “This is strange.”

I have the urge to say no shit, but I restrain myself. He’s proving to be unhelpful so far. “Do you have any answers?”

“I’m afraid not, miss,” The blacksmith says. “Although, I can tell you where it came from.”

“You can?” I jump at the opportunity to get something useful out of this conversation.

“Yes. Have you ever met that traveling merchant? The one with the white llama that looks at you funny? Well, he came into town a while ago. He said he had a rare type of iron with special properties, so I bought it off him. I used one piece and it didn’t seem very special, so I just put the rest aside. When you showed up, I figured I would give it to you as a parting gift.”

“So you don’t actually know what these ‘special properties’ are?”

“Nope.” The blacksmith hops back up the stairs into his shop. Once he picks up his pliers again I figure we’re done here. “If you ever find out, though, tell me!” He calls as we walk away from his shop. I make a mental note not to tell him. 

***************

Eventually, we find the house I stayed in before, and, lucky for us, it’s still vacant. There’s still only one bed, but I offer to sleep in my bedroll on the floor. I decline and say that I should sleep there since I’m the only person that’s used it before. It takes a few minutes of bantering back and forth, but he finally convinces me to sleep in the bed. 

Purple-orange sunlight pours in through the four-paned window. The small wooden bed is pushed next to the right wall, just next to the window, and I set my bag next to a wooden nightstand next to it. Ivan sets the bedroll on the floor a few feet away. He had to duck to get through the doorway, and his head nearly reaches the ceiling when he stands up. I wasn’t sure if he was going to make it up the cramped stairwell. Villagers aren’t exactly tall - I would say they’re shorter than the average height, although who am I to say that - and by extent villager houses are relatively confined. The cozy spaces are nice, but after a while they make me yearn for the outdoors again.

Ivan is kneeling on the woolen blanket, smoothing out the corners. I watch the way his muscles shift in his back, and the way he delicately folds the corners with hands I’m sure he could punch through a brick wall with, and I find myself staring for the second time today. I’m not sure why I’m quite so enthralled with his existence. Maybe it’s the mystery of it all. Maybe it’s something else.

I don’t know where we’ll be going tomorrow. I was hoping to explore the wilderness more, but I have the sudden urge to track down the merchant and talk to him. Ask him where exactly he got that special iron from. Find some actual answers. I could just wander and hope I run into him, although that’s unlikely, counting on the vastness of this open world. 

When the sun is cut in half by the horizon, a villager comes up the stairs. He hands us two bowls of soup, then hurries out of the room. I get the notion he was scared of Ivan. I don’t blame him - the blood red eyes scared me a bit first, as well. But I’m becoming less and less off-put by his appearance. Ivan doesn’t drink his bowl. Instead he just sets in on the floor next to the mat he’s sitting on and studies the room. I waste no time gulping down mine. I’m not sure if Ivan even needs to eat, although I wouldn’t complain if he didn’t. More food for myself would be especially helpful while traveling. 

After creaking down the stairs to return the bowls and back up, I flop down on my bed. It’s a bit early to be tucking in, but there’s not much left to do. I start to rethink whether I should have just let Ivan have the bed based on the way he gazes out the window. The sun glints off every part of his body, but I notice the way it glints in his eyes. There’s so much he doesn't know about this world. He’s so… new. It makes me slightly sad, thinking about it. I silently vow to show him as much of the world as I can. If he decides to come with me, of course. He might decide to stay in town and help the villagers. That’s what golems are made for, after all. But Ivan is more man than golem. At this point I’m not sure if he is a golem at all. He was certainly made as one, but something caused this. I’ve made up my mind - I’m going to try to find answers.

After a while of seeing me laying on my bed, Ivan gets the message and tucks under his blanket as well. I remember that I should say goodnight. I mumble it to the space, but it feels empty, so I look over and realize that Ivan is asleep already. Lucky him. I can never get to sleep that fast. In some ways it’s nice; looking out the window with the blanket pulled up to my chest, staring at the slowly rising, not-quite-full moon. Having some quiet time to think. Except it’s not quiet. It never is. I liked the wilderness because I had the sounds of the wild to accompany me as I drifted off, and I expected the quiet of the sleeping village when I arrived back. But Ivan breathes heavily, and it carries in the small room. I’m glad I have a companion now.

The moon rises, I fall. World fades to black in a moment I won’t remember.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woahhh what's this?! A third chapter that i very explicitly hinted at last time? You bet it is! Idk what I'm doing anymore
> 
> Also I noticed that for some reason Ao3 is grouping my notes from every chapter together at the end? I don't know why that's happening, but I'll look into how to stop it. If that happens this time then uhhhh just ignore it lmao
> 
> Girl y r u so enthralled by this guy 👀

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! So!! This is my first ever fanfic posted on here!! Yeah it's literally weird minecraft fanfic gadshafsaah dont judge me
> 
> I wrote this like four months ago when I was still in school (yeah I literally wrote it in class instead of doing my Actual Work) and I have no idea what to do with it so uhhhh here you go!! Like I said before this is the first fanfic I've ever posted so if some stuff is wack thats why. Pls leave kudos if you A. liked the fic, B. like minecraft, or C. wanna wish me a happy birthday!! Yeah I posted this on my actual birthday sgafsfgsfgafsg OKAY BYE


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